Searching for a light Fermiophobic Higgs Boson at the Tevatron

We propose new production mechanisms for light fermiophobic Higgs bosons ($h_f$) with suppressed couplings to vector bosons ($V$) at the Fermilab Tevatron. These mechanisms (e.g. $qq'\to H^\pm h_f$) are complementary to the conventional process $qq'\to Vh_f$, which suffers from a strong suppression of $1/\tan^2\beta$ in realistic models with a $h_f$. The new mechanisms extend the coverage at the Tevatron Run II to the larger $\tan\beta$ region, and offer the possibility of observing new event topologies with up to 4 photons.Comment: 15 pages, including 5 eps-figure

Probing scalar-pseudoscalar mixing in the CP violating MSSM at high-energy e+e−e^+e^- colliders

We study the production processes $e^+e^-\to H^0_iZ$, $H^0_iH^0_j$ and $H^0_i\nu_e\overline \nu_e$ in the context of the CP violating MSSM. In a given channel we show that the cross-section for all i (=1,2,3) can be above 0.1 fb provided M_{H_{2,3}}\la 300 GeV. This should be detectable at a Next Linear Collider and would provide evidence for scalar-pseudoscalar mixing.Comment: 17 pages, RevTex, 4 ps figures, figure 4 changed, minor modifications to text, version to appear in PR

Higgs boson decay into 2 photons in the type~II Seesaw Model

We study the two photon decay channel of the Standard Model-like component of the CP-even Higgs bosons present in the type II Seesaw Model. The corresponding cross-section is found to be significantly enhanced in parts of the parameter space, due to the (doubly-)charged Higgs bosons' $(H^{\pm \pm})H^\pm$ virtual contributions, while all the other Higgs decay channels remain Standard Model(SM)-like. In other parts of the parameter space $H^{\pm \pm}$ (and $H^{\pm}$) interfere destructively, reducing the two photon branching ratio tremendously below the SM prediction. Such properties allow to account for any excess such as the one reported by ATLAS/CMS at $\approx 125$ GeV if confirmed by future data; if not, for the fact that a SM-like Higgs exclusion in the diphoton channel around 114-115 GeV as reported by ATLAS, does not contradict a SM-like Higgs at LEP(!), and at any rate, for the fact that ATLAS/CMS exclusion limits put stringent lower bounds on the $H^{\pm \pm}$ mass, particularly in the parameter space regions where the direct limits from same-sign leptonic decays of $H^{\pm \pm}$ do not apply.Comment: 26 pages, 7 figure

Recent developments in radiative B decays

We report on recent theoretical progress in radiative B decays. We focus on a calculation of logarithmically enhanced QED corrections to the branching ratio and forward-backward asymmetry in the inclusive rare decay anti-B --> X(s) l+ l-, and present the results of a detailed phenomenological analysis. We also report on the calculation of NNLO QCD corrections to the inclusive decay anti-B --> X(s) gamma. As far as exclusive modes are concerned we consider transversity amplitudes and the impact of right-handed currents in the exclusive anti-B --> K^* l+ l- decay. Finally, we state results for exclusive B --> V gamma decays, notably the time-dependent CP-asymmetry in the exclusive B --> K^* gamma decay and its potential to serve as a so-called ``null test'' of the Standard Model, and the extraction of CKM and unitarity triangle parameters from B --> (rho,omega) gamma and B --> K^* gamma decays.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures. Accepted for publication in the proceedings of International Europhysics Conference on High Energy Physics (EPS-HEP2007), Manchester, England, 19-25 Jul 200

Measuring V_ub and probing SUSY with double ratios of purely leptonic decays of B and D mesons

The experimental prospects for precise measurements of the leptonic decays B_u -> tau nu / mu nu, B_s -> mu+ mu-, D -> mu nu and D_s -> mu nu / tau nu are very promising. Double ratios involving four of these decays can be defined in which the dependence on the values of the decay constants is essentially eliminated, thus enabling complementary measurements of the CKM matrix element V_ub with a small theoretical error. We quantify the experimental error in a possible future measurement of |V_ub| using this approach, and show that it is competitive with the anticipated precision from the conventional approaches. Moreover, it is shown that such double ratios can be more effective than the individual leptonic decays as a probe of the parameter space of supersymmetric models. We emphasize that the double ratios have the advantage of using |V_ub| as an input parameter (for which there is experimental information), while the individual decays have an uncertainty from the decay constants (e.g. f_B_s), and hence a reliance on theoretical techniques such as lattice QCD.Comment: 21 pages, 4 figure

Stau LSP and comparison with H^+(-) phenomenology

In supersymmetric models with explicit breaking of R-parity the lightest supersymmetric particle (LSP) may be the lightest stau, \stau_1. Such a scenario would provide a clear sign of R-parity violating SUSY, although its phenomenology may resemble that of a charged Higgs boson, $H^\pm$. We discuss various ways of distinguishing a LSP \stau_1 from $H^\pm$ at future colliders, and address the case of \stau_1 mimicking the signal for $H^\pm$. As an example we suggest that the recent L3 signal for $H^+H^-\to qq'qq'$ and $H^+H^-\to qq'\tau\nu_{\tau}$ could be more easily explained by a LSP \stau_1.Comment: 22 pages, 2 figures, Revtex, short discussion and references adde

Double fermiophobic Higgs boson production at the LHC and LC

We consider the phenomenology of a fermiophobic Higgs boson (h_f) at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and a e+e- Linear Collider (LC). At both machines the standard production mechanisms which rely on the coupling h_fVV (V=W,Z) can be very suppressed at large tan beta. In such cases the complementary channels pp to H^\pm h_f, A^0 h_f and e+e- to A^0 h_f offer promising cross-sections. Together with the potentially large branching ratios for H^\pm to h_fW* and A^0 to h_fZ*, these mechanisms would give rise to double h_f production, leading to signatures of gamma gamma gamma gamma, gamma gamma VV and VVVV.Comment: 19 pages, 9 figures, expanded discussion, fig.1 changed slightly, version to appear in Phys.Rev.

Theory and phenomenology of two-Higgs-doublet models

We discuss theoretical and phenomenological aspects of two-Higgs-doublet extensions of the Standard Model. In general, these extensions have scalar mediated flavour changing neutral currents which are strongly constrained by experiment. Various strategies are discussed to control these flavour changing scalar currents and their phenomenological consequences are analysed. In particular, scenarios with natural flavour conservation are investigated, including the so-called type I and type II models as well as lepton-specific and inert models. Type III models are then discussed, where scalar flavour changing neutral currents are present at tree level, but are suppressed by either specific ansatze for the Yukawa couplings or by the introduction of family symmetries. We also consider the phenomenology of charged scalars in these models. Next we turn to the role of symmetries in the scalar sector. We discuss the six symmetry-constrained scalar potentials and their extension into the fermion sector. The vacuum structure of the scalar potential is analysed, including a study of the vacuum stability conditions on the potential and its renormalization-group improvement. The stability of the tree level minimum of the scalar potential in connection with electric charge conservation and its behaviour under CP is analysed. The question of CP violation is addressed in detail, including the cases of explicit CP violation and spontaneous CP violation. We present a detailed study of weak basis invariants which are odd under CP. A careful study of spontaneous CP violation is presented, including an analysis of the conditions which have to be satisfied in order for a vacuum to violate CP. We present minimal models of CP violation where the vacuum phase is sufficient to generate a complex CKM matrix, which is at present a requirement for any realistic model of spontaneous CP violation.Comment: v3: 180 pages, 506 references, new chapter 7 with recent LHC results; referee comments taken into account; submitted to Physics Report

The decay Bs -> mu+ mu-: updated SUSY constraints and prospects

We perform a study of the impact of the recently released limits on BR(Bs -> mu+ mu-) by LHCb and CMS on several SUSY models. We show that the obtained constraints can be superior to those which are derived from direct searches for SUSY particles in some scenarios, and the use of a double ratio of purely leptonic decays involving Bs -> mu+ mu- can further strengthen such constraints. We also discuss the experimental sensitivity and prospects for observation of Bs -> mu+ mu- during the sqrt(s)=7 TeV run of the LHC, and its potential implications.Comment: 30 pages, 21 figures. v2: Improved discussion of constraints from B -> tau nu, references adde

Unusual Charged Higgs Signals at LEP-2

We have made a detailed study of the signals produced at LEP-2 from charged scalar bosons whose dominant decay channels are into four fermions. The event rates as well as kinematics of the final states are discussed when such scalars are either pair-produced or are generated through a tree-level interaction involving a charged scalar, the W and the Z. The backgrounds in both cases are discussed. We also suggest the possibility of reconstructing the mass of such a scalar at LEP-2.Comment: 12 pages, LateX, 9 Postscript figures, uses eps